LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters — Minutes St. Louis, Missouri — FEBRUARY 28, 1961, Page 9

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COPY OF COMMUNICATION Exhibit "'c"

March 30, 1961

The Rev. Dan R. Ludwig, Secretary
The English District

10503 Valleyview Road

Northfield, Ohio

Dear Brother Ludwig:

Your letter of July 16, 1960, in which you informed the Committee on Consti-
tutional Matters that the Convention of the English District in June, 1960 had
adopted a resolution which questioned the constitutionality of Resolution Num-
ber 9 of Committee Number 3 adopted by The Lutheran Church - Missouri
Synod at its 1959 Convention in San Francisco, has been the subject of consid-
eration by the Committee on Constitutional Matters at three meetings.

The two pertinent resolutions as adopted by your District have the following

- wording:

Resolution lL.

“WHEREAS, Article II of the Constitution of The Lutheran Church -
Missouri Synod sets forth the confessional standard of
Synod as follows:
‘Synod and every member of Synod accepts without
reservation:

1. The Scriptures of the Old and New Testament as the
written Word of God and the only rule and norm of
faith and practice;

2. All the Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church as a true and unadulterated statement and
exposition of the Word of God, to wit, the three
Ecumenical Creeds (The Apostles' Creed, the Nicene
Creed, the Athanasian Creed), the Unaltered Augsburg
Confession, the Apology of the Augsburg Confession,
the Smalcald Articles, the Large Catechism of Luther
the Small Catechism of Luther, and the Formula of
Concord;' and

"WHEREAS, Resolution 9, Committee 3, of the 1959 Synodical Convention
would in effect give confessional status to articles never
accorded such confessional weight in Synod's Constitution,
by binding Synod's pastors, teachers, and professors to
teach in harmony with articles passed by simple majority
vote at Synodical Conventions; and

“WHEREAS, Resolution 9 would thus in effect amend Article II of
Synod's Constitution without following proper procedures
as outlined in Article XIV, 'Changes in and Amendments
to, the Constitution, ' and Bylaws to the Constitution 2. 113b,
which states: